Self-oiling bearing.



' C. V. KEER.

SELF OILING. BEARING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2s, 1913.

Patented June 28,1914.

llmgwl,

lllumn UNITED STATES PATENT QFEICE.

CHARLES VOLNEY KERR, OF WELLSVIJLE, NE1Lr YORK.

SELF-OILING BEARING.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, (nannns V. KERK, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVellsville, in the county of Allegany and State of New York. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Uiling Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to self oilingI of multiple bearings, and is particularly adapted for the lubrication of a plurality of bearings and shafts which are superposed in a gear mechanism, said gears being used to reduce the speed of a steam turbine, electric motor, or other high speed motor connected with a slower rotary speed blower, pump, or other apparatus.

The object of the invent-ion is to provide an eliicient and automatic lubrication of two or more superposed rapidly revolving shafts which will keep a constant circulation and a flow of the lubricant to each of the several bearings and shafts which will be commensurate with the speed of the rapidly revolving shafts. l

A further object of the invention is to provide means for the lubrication of a plurality of bearings in which one reservoir for the oil only is employed, and the plu@ yrality of super-posed.bearings are supplied fiom this one reservoir by the oil being relayed tro-m the reservoir successively to the several bearings by a series of superposed and co-acting flat rings.

Other objects and advantages of the in ventionwill appear from the detailed description and inode of operation.

The invention consists of structural features and relative arrangements of the several elements which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar refer-l ence characters indicate the saine parts in the several figures of drawing; Figure 1,v is a vlong lgitudinal section of a gear casing and bearings showing the invention applied thereto; F ig. 2 is a section on line H--l'l of Fig.1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary and enlarged .section of 1 showing the relation of the.

supcrposed lubricating rings with one of the bearings; and Fig. e a similar View of F ig. 2 showing the relation of the superposed. rings with one of the bearings. A

Referring to the drawings, 1 is any suitable gear casing which is provided withgany,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 191e.

Application led August 23, 1913. Serial No. 786,267.

approved forni of upper bearings 2, 2. in which .is supported a low speedior dri 'en shaft 3, having keyed thereon separated gears l, l, said shaft 3 being connected by any al'iproved ineans'to a blower, lpuinp or sinnlar apimratus, not shown. Lower bearings 5, 5, support a rapidly' rotating shaft which is connectt-ed to any forni of high speed turbine or other motor, not shown, said shaft 6 carrying gears 7, y7, which niesh with the gears 4t, t, as shown. The gears 7, 7, are separated and provided at their inner 0r adjacent sides with small projections or shoulders 8, havingl preferably rounded edges 9. ln the space between the shoulders 8, 8, and supported by the, shaft 6, between the gears 7, 7, are provided preferably a series of independent flat lubricating rings 10, 10, whose lower sections dip into the oil contained in the reservoir 11, at the bottoni of the gear casing 1, and carry the oil to and distribute the same sidewise on the working or engaging faces of the teeth of gears t, a and 7, 7, which rotate in thedirection indicated by the arrows.

The essential features of the present invention are in providing the bearings 5 to be lubricated, with a series of separated tlat rings 12, 12, which rest. on the top surface of the lower shaft t3, as shown, while their lower sections dip into the lateral reservoirs 11a, and 11b connected with the niain reservoir 11 by means of the openings 13, as indicated. Said rings 1:2, 12 are stamped fro-n1 zinc or other non-corrosive nietal and spaced apart by sinaliwires or projections 18, at.- tached to the side of the rings and parallel to the axis of the shaft o, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4t. f

Rings la, 1.4-, similar in construction. to the lubricating` rings 1Q, 12, are supported and carried by the superposed shaft 3, and areso proportioned in diameter that. their lower sections will be free troni the shat' (i, and alternately disposed with resin-elto the upper sections nl" the lubritn-xt" ing rings 12,' 12, as sln'iwnV roller lo having projecting pins guided in ways 'l rests on the inner sides oil the rings ll, il, for the purpose of infeveuting thtl rings 1st, 'l l '.roni mit the lower i The top casing openings l? for the purp"Av the lubricating oil nto nie 1 'n p'osited in the lattfal rff;-:ervozrs i' and flow therefrom into the middle reservoir 11, by means of the 'open-ings 13, the openings 1T also enabling one to observe whether the lubricating rings 12 and 14 are properly cooperating and perforn'iing their functions, toinsure a copious and continuous supply of oil to the bearings 2 and 5, and `shafts 3 and 6.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The superposed shafts 3 and (l being rotated in the direction as indicated by the arrows, by the interposed and meshing gears 4 and 7, the lower rings 12, 12 are rotated by means of the shaft 6 and bring' up the oil adhering to said rings to the upper side of the shaft (3 from either of the reservoirs 11'* or 11", and a portion of this elevated oil is deposited on the bearings 5, 5. The loweil sections of the upper rings 14, 14, rotated by the shaft 3 and interposed between aid meshing with the upper sections of lower rings 12, 12 come in contact. with and take up part of theI oil clinging to said rings 12, l2 and relay said oil to the upper bearings 2, 2 in proper portion and commensurate to the speed of the shaft 3. It has been found that owing to the larger diameter ofthe rings 12, 12, or higher speed of rotation of the shaft 6, the lower rings 12, 12 bring up more oil than is needed for the lower bearing 5, and hence by the arrangement as shown, a copious supply of oil is always supplied to the upper bearing 2, and it can be readily seen and understood that the diameter and depth of said annular sections of the intermeshing lubricating rings 12 and 14 can be easily determined,to supply the necessary lubricating fluids to a series of superposed shafts and bearings, and while I have shown and described only two such superposed bearings, l do not limit myself to such number, as three or more bearings onshafts could be lubricated in a similar manner, and involving' the same invention in which the lubricating fluid is relayed from one ring or set of rings to another superposed and contacting'ring or set of rings, without departing from the gist of my invention. A

From the foregoing disclosure of construc- 'tion and mode of operation, it will be seen that oil can be easily, continuously and quickly conveyed from a reservoir to a nu1nber of superposed shafts or bearings, and all the bearings and gears in a gear casing can be supplied from a single reservoir at the bottom of the casing.

lVhigle I have shown and described a specil'ic form and arrangement for lubricating the sets of gears 4, 4, and 7, 7, which transmit tlie motion of the high speed rotary shaft `t3 to the shaft 3 from the same oil reservbir as that which supplies the lubricant to the bearings 2, 2, and 5, 5, for the said shafts 3, and 6, within the same gear .easing, l do not herein malte claim lo this feature of the ii'iventlon, as this is the .subject-matter olf a separate application liled by me on August 23, ll'lf'l, and Serial No. vedete.

YWhat l claim is l. A self oiling multiple bearing comprising a plurality of bearings one above the other, rotary shafts in each of said bearings, a lubricating ring surrounding and supported from each of the shafts at the `bearing and rotated by the shafts, an oil reservoir, said lubricating rings so propor tioned and arranged that the lower portion of thel lower ring dips into the oil reservoir, and the upper portion of the lower ring of any adjacent pair of superposed rings is contiguousI to the lower portion of the upper ring' of the pair. 2. A self oiling multiple bearing coinprising a plurality of bearings one above the other, rotary shafts in each of said bearings, a plurality of annular disks surrounding and supported from each of the shafts at the bearing and rotated by the shafts, an oil reservoir, said disks so proportioned and arranged that the lower portions of the lower disks dip into the oil reservoir, and the upper portions of the lower 4disks of any adjacent pair of superposed disks are contiguous to the lower portions of the upper disks of the pair. y

3. A self oiling multiple bearing comprising a plurality of bearings one above the other, rotary shafts in each of said bearings, a plurality of separated annular disks surrounding and supported from each of the shafts at 'the bearing -and rotated by the shafts, an oil reservoir, said disks so pro- ]jiortioned and arranged that the lower por tions of the lower disks dip into the oil reservoir, and the upper portions of the lower disks of any adjacent pair of superposed disks intermesh with and are contiguous to lthelower` portions of the upper disks of the pair.

,4. A self oiling multiple bearing com prising a plurality of bearings one above the other, rotary shafts in each of said bearings, a plurality of separated annular disks surrounding and supported from each ofthe shafts at the bearing and rotated by the shafts, an oil reservoir, said disks so proportioned and arranged lthat the lower por- -tions of the lower disks dip into 4the oil reservoir, and the upper portions of the lower disks of any adjacent pair of superposed disks intermesh with and, are contiguous to the lower portions ot 'the upper disks of the pair, and a roller resting on the lower inner section of the upper disks.

A self oiling multiple bearing cornprising a plurality of bearings one above the other, rotary shafts in each of said bearings, a plurality ,of separated annular disks surperposed disks intermesh with and are oony tiguous to the lower portions of the upper 10 disks of the pair.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES VoLNEY KEER.

` Witnesses:

VOLNEY A. KERR, ELIZABETH A. KERK. 

